Syrians seek asylum at Texas

After the Paris attacks, two groups arrive at border. It’s the first of a wave, some say.

HOUSTON — For the second time in a week, a group of Syrian migrants presented themselves at a Texas border crossing to seek asylum, evidence, some say, that more will be making the journey from Europe as anti-Syrian sentiment spreads following the Paris attacks.

Five Syrians arrived at the busy Laredo crossing on Friday, including two men and a couple and their child, according to a Homeland Security statement released Saturday.

“Officers took the group into custody and, as a standard procedure, checked their identities against numerous law enforcement and national security-related databases,” the statement said. “Records checks revealed no derogatory information about the individuals.”

Officials turned the Syrians over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for processing and placement at detention centers, the statement said.

It’s not uncommon for immigrants fleeing overseas war zones to be caught on the southern border. Immigration officials announced Thursday that they had seized half a dozen men from Afghanistan and Pakistan after they tripped a sensor while crossing the border in southern Arizona.

But Syrians arriving this week did not try to elude immigration officials, instead presenting themselves at the border like other immigrants seeking asylum.

On Tuesday, two Syrian families presented themselves at the Laredo crossing and were transferred to detention centers in southern Texas, according to another Homeland Security statement.

It’s not clear how many Syrian asylum seekers have showed up at the southern border in recent months, as opposed to those attempting to enter the U.S. through other channels. While numerous congressional, state and local lawmakers announced they would be rejecting Syrian refugees last week, they did not address Syrian asylum seekers.

The number of Syrians seeking asylum in the U.S. has risen in recent years. There were 104 asylum cases filed by Syrians this year as of June, almost twice as many as in 2010, according to immigration court records.

Those who work with Syrian migrants said they increasingly are trying to flee Europe to join family in the U.S., especially after the Paris attacks on Nov. 13.